One of Britain’s most popular contemporary composers, Patrick Hawes, has teamed up with the excellent Voce Chamber Choir of Connecticut to create an album of twenty brand-new Christmas choral works. Specially written for the choir, the first collection and album title, sets words by Patrick’s poet brother Andrew. The Nativity, for unaccompanied choir, moves through the Christmas nativity scene exploring the drama of this momentous moment in human history. For the second collection, Patrick has set Four Christmas Motets, the fragile ancient poetry giving rise to tender and heartfelt music for unaccompanied choir. The album goes on to explore the Christmas story through various texts, old and new, in works that are set to become extremely popular with choirs around the world.
Composer Patrick Hawes says “Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year and it has been a joy to set such inspiring and dramatic words to music. The variety of texts – from ancient to modern – are all so relevant for today because they speak of eternal truths and the mystery of the Christmas story. I am thrilled with how Voce and their director Mark Singleton have brought a freshness of approach and musical excellence to their interpretation of this exciting project.”
“This endearing set of Christmas pieces isn’t just music: it’s message, it’s poetry and celebration. Performed by an ensemble of a cappella voices in a traditional, strophic way, and with brilliant melodic figurations. It is worth highlighting, in this Christmas carol, the warmth and affection of the accompaniment of the organ by Stephen Scarlato.” – Sonograma Magazine
“meticulously conceived across every perceptible dimension… this refreshing and restorative choral album showcases a remarkable array of synergies between traditional elements in a deceptively conservative idiom, namely Christmas choral music” – Classical Music Daily
“‘The Oxen’ demonstrates how pleasing are Hawes’ choral textures. The later aspects of the disk are no less interesting and fresh. And overall, this is both a splendid survey of Hawes; compositional élan, and his particular style. It is well worth having in one’s library.” – Organists’ Review
